My friend Tim Straight is a former American aid-worker turned Scandinavian diplomat in Armenia. Not satisfied with his largely ceremonial role as honorary council of both Norway and Finland to Armenia, Tim decided to take an active role in Armenia's development. He founded Homeland Handycrafts a few years back as a social enterprise designed to revive traditional Armenian crafts, while bringing sustainable employment to Armenia's most vulnerable populations (women, people with disabilities, refugees and so on). This work has paid off.
His unique locally-sourced designs are produced in different regions of Armenia, and are sold across the world. The toys, clothing items, kitchen appliances and other trinkets are fair-trade certified, and meet all American as well as European safety standards.
His office/display is located in Yerevan's Impact Hub. Guests are welcome to visit, and chat with him about the various items they produce. Everything you see on the shelves are also for sale, so don't be shy. It's for a good cause!
Find your way with 142 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
It truly is a Soviet masterpiece considering its unique design and build: it is part metro station, part cavern and, once upon a time, part cafe.
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The "Open Air Cinema" in Yerevan in Moscow Cinema has a rich history, and Soviet ruin-porn enthusiasts can access the building all-year round, too!
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"Hanrapetutyan Street" in Yerevan is one of the most central in the city, yet there is so much to see here. The buildings are really beautiful and old...
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"Ardēan": a center for art, architecture and design that has its gallery shop on Abovyan street in Yerevan. I like how they combine technology & tradition.
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The "Mermaids of the Underground" in Yerevan is a sculpture from 1981. The mermaids wear nothing but their hair, which was quite unusual for its time...
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"Shengavit" is an impressive 6000-year-old settlement which is preserved even better than Yerevan's old town! It was an accidental discovery in the 1930s.
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The "Cross-stone Makers" in Yerevan follow a tradition that goes back to 879 AD. The masters' metal tools on the stone create a meditative sound for me...
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The "Komitas Museum" in Yerevan is one of my favorite ones in the city. It gets me thinking about what Armenian music really is about...
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"Melancholia" is a statue in Yerevan that truly expresses the feeling that has been increasingly affecting humankind in the last century...
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"Calumet Ethnic Lounge Bar": THE place for good music in Yerevan. I don't come as often as I'd like to because of the smoke, but it's a must at least once.
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142 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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